What do a dalmatian, a hyena, and a candy-maker have in common? They’re all roles that local children have had an opportunity to play in recent productions by St. Pete MAD (Music, Acting, and Dance), the premier performing arts program for Pinellas County youth.
If you happened to catch all of those shows (101 Dalmatians, The Lion King, or Willy-Wonka and the Chocolate Factory), you would have found yourself in three different theaters around Pinellas County, as St. Pete Mad has had to rent rehearsal and production space for the past several years. Now, the popular program has announced a permanent home in a former church sanctuary in Gulfport. The space is part of the Sunflower Private School, who recently purchased the property that they have rented from the Gulfport Presbyterian Church for 47 years.
The new dedicated rehearsal and performance space will allow St. Pete MAD, which was founded in 2014, to expand its programming, introduce its new curriculum to a larger audience, and create teaching fellowships that bring national talent to the area. Long-term plans for the space include a Mystery Dinner Theater, and a Children’s Theater program, neither of which currently exist in Pinellas County.
Loyal families return to St. Pete MAD year after year, and overall enrollment has increased dramatically in recent years. The program draws children and teens from throughout Pinellas and Hillsborough Counties for the professional-level training and performances it offers, as well as the sense of community those programs create. Heather Minichillo has two daughters, 9 and 13 years old, who have performed with St. Pete MAD for three years. “As parents you always hope to find activities that interest and challenge your children, and St. Pete MAD does that. Our girls have grown as actors and as people, and the lessons they’ve learned through MAD are invaluable.”
St. Pete MAD will offer productions of The Adams Family Musical in the new space this October. Visit https://www.stpetemad.com/ for more information.
